The Path between Humans and Demons
by BoredOfTheLab
Summary: Asleep for thousands of years, the world is of little importance to Naruto Uzumaki. But when the world is in danger once more, he will find his will to protect is still strong. An Action/Humor/Romance crossover fic.
1. The Choice

Just the start of something meant to keep the boredom away. I'm not sure how long this will turn out to be, but in my mind it is a pretty comprehensive story. It will likely mix up events and time lines in the Rosario Universe a good deal, but ultimately hold true to the overlying themes. Writing a canon story with a non canon character is just not appealing. Besides, this is a Naruto-centric story.

I hope you all enjoy the story. I appreciate reviews, and offers to beta other works.

Notes at the end.

* * *

**The Path between Humans and Demons**

_Chapter 1: The Choice_

_Updated: 12/20/2011  
_

* * *

It didn't matter how deep his dreams would go. His memories hunted him down, tearing at him when he was his most vulnerable.

He could see fire. Burning forests. Homes lying as ash in the streets he swore to protect.

Cries of the dead rang in his ears. The silence of the dead weighing on him.

Pain. His pain. Their pain. His body's pain after striking down his opponent. His heart's pain at seeing everyone he cared for dead.

He had sealed himself so that he could rest. Hidden so none could seek what was trapped within him.

All that he had left were the dreams.

Yet something was calling to him. Something like Chakra, yet warmer. For the first time in centuries he felt loved. And as he felt it weakening, he felt as if he remembered something important.

Even if it was only for a moment, he wanted to stand up and protect something precious again.

* * *

Tsukune was moving before he had fully thought on what he was doing. Moka-san was about to land another blow on the defenseless Kurumu-chan, and he couldn't bear to watch the fighting anymore. He had seen the power this inner Moka-san possessed, and he truly believed it was enough to break the other girl.

Before he had made it halfway though, the world suddenly grew tense. A force so heavy it stole his breath away had entered the clearing. For a moment he could imagine his death flashing before his eyes. Images of claws, teeth, fire, and tempests filled his mind. The shock of it sent him to his hands and knees. Whatever this power, it made Moka-san's look paltry and weak.

Then it was gone. As if it had never existed, leaving a void in its wake. It was as if the color had been drained from world. Leaving it gray and lifeless.

Looking up, he was greeted with the sight of a smiling blonde boy only a few years his senior. Judging by his demeanor, he didn't appear concerned by the fight he had landed in the middle of. Though, with the power he held that seemed hardly surprising. In fact, all he was doing was looking around curiously at everything in sight.

Still, something about the boy sent his hair to standing on end. Even with his youki hidden, he _looked_ dangerous. Outwardly he seemed harmless enough. The sun kissed blonde hair and blue eyes, signs of foreign blood, seemed to give him a cheery look. He even had a set of whisker marks that, while a little strange looking, helped to sell the appearance of someone friendly. But it was everything else that had him on edge.

Tsukune was not a fighter by any means, but he could tell this stranger was strong. His build, well over six feet, was lean and muscled. And he held himself in a way that looked like he was ready for a fight, even if he gave the impression of being nonchalant.

"Now why would two cute girls be out here fighting?" The stranger angled himself to more fully cover Kurumu-chan, and placed his hands behind his head, smiling at the vampire.

Moka-san crossed her arms, scowling as she tossed her silver hair back with a flick of the head. "My quarrel isn't with you. So unless you want to get hurt, move."

The mysterious teenager cocked his head to one side, looking at the Vampire oddly before he looked over his shoulder at Kurumu-chan. Turning around fully, he knelt down next to the succubus. "Was that mean old lady back there picking on your? Is that what happened?"

Moka-san's eye twitched once, and her voice got especially cold. "What was that?"

"Seems her hearing is going too," he sighed. "Are you all right? Let me guess what happened. The old lady got jealous that you're way cuter than she is. Am I right?" Despite her obvious confusion, the blue haired girl looked slightly flushed at his praise. Before Kurumu-chan could say anything, Moka-san ran at the boy, drawing back a leg to kick him.

The only thing she hit was a rotten log, destroying it in a shower of splinters.

"Woah, dangerous lady there. Say. You're going gray, have a huge chest, AND you have super strength? Your clan name wouldn't happen to be Senju by any chance, would it?" Above them, the blonde was standing on the highest branch of the tree while holding Kurumu-chan bridal style. The demon girl seemed to finally shake off her shock, though, and jumped away from the blonde, using her wings to touch lightly upon the ground. At all this, the boy just pouted. "Look. You scared devil-chan away."

His opponent growled, jumping high to deliver one of her signature round house kicks in an attempt to shut him up. Tsukune gaped as the man only leaned back far enough to let the kick just miss his nose. Continuing with her momentum, Moka-san continued to try and pummel on the blonde, only to keep missing as he dodged each strike. The man wasn't even faster than Moka-san. If anything he appeared to be moving like an ordinary human, yet he was dodging each strike as if he had known where she would be attacking from.

With a final roar, Moka-san tried one last hay-maker punch, forgoing her refined style of fighting for a rage fueled attack. Smirking, the man palmed her bicep, halting the attack as he stepped inside of her guard. Placing his other hand on her forehead, he pushed the vampire off the branch they were standing on. Moving quickly, Tsukune ran to catch her, collapsing under her body weight, but at least preventing her from being hurt.

Looking down at the normally inflappable inner Moka, he was surprised to see her looking stunned and at a loss for words. In a violent move, she grabbed the Rosario and reattached it to her collar. In a way, the action made Tsukune think she had wanted to sulk in private.

He looked up at the sound of a slap, and was surprised to see Kurumu-chan's hand raised and the blonde's cheek turning red. "What is wrong with you?" The succubus was raging now, leaning in close to the blonde's face. "You could have killed her!"

Tsukune blinked. He wondered if this was a good time to remind the girl why they had originally come to this clearing. Still, the man looked calm enough in the face of the angry demon. Instead he just took to scratching the back of his head and looked at Tsukune. "So...mind explaining what the hell is going on here?"

* * *

Naruto sighed.

He always did seem to land himself in the largest mess possible. He had hoped that after a thousand years he would be cured of that little problem, but it seemed some god was still counting on him to provide morbid entertainment. What was worse was that he couldn't remember what it was that had convinced him to wake up.

Somehow he woke up to a school full of monsters. In the middle of a fight between a vampire and a demon.

At times like these, he understood why Baa-chan had started to drink.

Still, in a way it was good to stretch his muscles again. Now that he was awake, there wasn't much he could do about it. It seemed there were problems brewing in this new world, and all knowledge of what he once was would have faded into obscurity. It would be safe to stay here so long as he was careful not to call attention to the power he held inside.

And there was always the silver haired girl vampire. She reminded him of some of the clan members he had known back in the day, and aside from her wanting his blood, pun intended, she had made for a good time.

"So, let me get this straight," Naruto said, pacing back and forth along the front of the abandoned classroom they were using. "This is a school for monsters. And the whole point of it is to teach them how to interact with humans without being discovered. Which I totally don't buy since most of the monsters _I _knew would rather eat a human than play dress up as one. And that girl over there," here he pointed at the unconscious brunette, "is a vampire. And the one I saved is a succubus."

The Tsukune kid nodded solemnly. "That's right."

Naruto laughed. "Right. And I thought _I _had a hell of a time at school. You really got the short end of the stick, didn't you?"

"What do you mean?" The average looking boy was looking too nervous, and Naruto rolled his eyes. Boy couldn't out bluff Tsunade in a game of poker with that face.

"What I mean is that you're clearly a human. What has a human all mixed up with monsters like these? They put you on the lunch menu?"

The boy looked scared half to death, looking around wildly as he put a finger to his mouth in a gesture to keep quiet. "Shh! I'm not _supposed_ to be here. I have no clue how I ended up getting admitted to this place. If I'm found out, though, I am as good as dead. So please, don't tell anyone." Tsukune pointed at the girl resting behind him. The vampire was still asleep, and looked far kinder for it. "Moka-san here is the only other person who knows. But aside from her, this has to stay a secret. I'm begging you."

Naruto scratched his nose. "Wasn't like I was going to tell. I'm human too, and I'm not looking to bring too much trouble down on my head either. Though it makes you wonder what kind of school would teach its students to get along with humans, then kill one if they ever screwed up enough to let one in." He chuckled, "Not like it worries me, of course. Monster or not, the Rokudaime Hokage is no easy target."

"You're human too?" Tsukune looked confused. "But what about that youki before? And the fighting. I've never seen a human who could hope to take on Moka-san and survive."

Chuckling, Naruto walked over and placed a hand on the kid's shoulder. "It's called chakra. Something that all human's can do. At least, I think so. I never did pay close attention to the theory in school. And as for the fighting, well, I was already fighting people that make her seem like a harmless puppy when I was 15."

"What do you mean? You look hardly older than 18. And what kind of enemies could be so strong that -" Tsukune looked ready to go on, but Naruto held his palm up, silencing the boy. A moment later the devil girl, Kurumu-chan if he remembered correctly, entered the room. With a large smile and a skip, she latched herself onto Tsukune's arm before turning to glare at Naruto.

"All right you! Move away from Tsukune before you hurt him too. I already asked the teachers, and they don't know any student that matches your description. So you better be ready to get kicked out when they find you here."

"Umm, Kurumu-chan," Tsukune interrupted, looking down at where she was hugging his arm to her chest. "It's not that I don't appreciate your worry, but, about earlier, um..."

Naruto smiled at the succubus. "What he means," he said in a chipper voice meant to annoy her, "is that you just tried to kill him and his friend. Which begs the question why you're clinging to him now." The other boy nodded. "And besides, you're so mean devil-chan. I come out of nowhere like a good hero, save you, and you were the bad guy all along. Shouldn't I be the one getting thanked?"

Naruto pouted after casually leaning back to avoid a swipe of her tail.

Kurumu nuzzled her head into Tsukune's shoulder. "Well, I was wrong. I saw you moving to save me, which shows how brave you are. Just like how you saved Moka-san. I think I could fall for a guy like you, Tsukune."

The boy was saved an awkward situation when a groan from Moka caught all their attentions. Sitting up, legs straight out in front of her while she rubbed her eyes, she looked like a little child waking from a nap. "What's going on," she murmured.

Tsukune carefully pried himself away from Kurumu, going over and kneeling next to the vampire. Placing a hand lightly between her shoulder blades, he turned her just enough so she was facing Naruto. "We're in school, talking to Naruto-san here. He helped us outside when things got a little heated, and made sure that none of us got hurt. Isn't that right, Kurumu-chan?"

The succubus crossed her arms and turned away from Naruto. She gave a grudging grunt of agreement, and Naruto beamed at her, which only caused her to turn further away. Turning to the other boy, he gave Tsukune a thumbs up before walking over to kneel in front of Moka. "Nice to meet you Moka-chan. I have to say you're a lot less scary when that old hag is in that necklace of yours."

Moka looked confused, but bless her innocent heart, hid it well. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Naruto-san." Moka bowed her head, "I'm sorry if we inconvenienced you."

Naruto waved it off. "Don't worry about me." Leaning closer, he stage whispered so everyone else could hear, "Though, if you could get Kurumu-chan to stop being so mean to me, I'd be grateful."

Without looking in their direction, Kurumu's heel came down on his instep, causing Naruto to let you large tears. "See what I mean? Won't you make her stop before I lose my toes?"

"Kurumu-chan, please stop hurting Naruto-san," Moka sighed.

The blue haired girl gave Naruto one last glare at Naruto before storming to the door. "Fine. But remember, if you want to be such good friends with this idiot, then it will be all that much easier for me to win Tsukune's heart." Opening the door quickly, she stepped forward without looking, her face smashing itself into that of an older woman with long dreadlocks. Next to her stood another lady whose hair was styled in a manner resembling cat ears. And both of them were staring at Naruto intently.

Sighing, Naruto stood up and moved slightly away from the teachers. "Seems like you guys finally decided to stop hovering in the hallway. Which means that your superior wants the inevitable meeting with me where he makes veiled threats against my person. And just when I thought Kurumu-chan here was about to go get some ramen with me."

"In your dreams, blondie."

"Now now Kurumu-chan. We can discuss my dreams and the part you will play in them later. First, I have to run." With a salute, Naruto gathered some chakra, and before the teachers could close the distance to them, he teleported out of the room. Going to the place where he felt the least chakra or energy at all, he ended up in a large underground chamber. He groaned. It always had to be an underground chamber.

Still, it would work.

He had every intention of going to see that headmaster. Eventually. If he had faced a student with a low jounin's ability, he wasn't sure what he would be facing when he met the person who ran this school. And he had his secrets to keep. While he could hide his chakra well, there was no guarantee his control wouldn't slip soon and give up the game. He already knew he could handle himself in a fight with only a small amount of chakra. The people of this time didn't appear to be as adept with the combat arts as he was used to. True, he had only faced a student, but from the sound of it, a vampire was a big deal. If he could take down one of those, he should be alright against most opponents.

Calling on a handful of clones, he got to work.

In a deserted location like this, the seals he would place to mask all the energy within his body would go unnoticed. No one would be the wiser when he sealed his powers.

At the cardinal points of the room, he began to scribe the intricate seals required. North, beseeching the gods of air and sky for their wisdom. East came the cleansing fires. South was the purity of the seas, the ability to mold the energy into the correct form. And finally earth to the west to stabilize the elements, and bring its form.

Kanji began to cover the floor, until it left a small circle for him to sit within. Four clones stood at the key seals, ready to activate it with a flare of chakra. Taking a deep breath, he sat in the middle of the design, and gave a single nod to his clones.

The chamber filled with a bright blue light as his seals came to life, the symbols and shapes forging the energy into something new, something meant to trap his powers under many strong barriers. He would only be able to access them in the most dire of circumstances now, and none would be the wiser. He refused to have another mad man chase him down for the being living inside of him.

A few moments later it was over. The chamber was quiet. Empty of all the seals and all other life. Sitting there panting, he clenched his fist, sensing the amount of energy within him. He had about the same energy a chuunin would have had in his day. That allowed him the use of all but his most powerful jutsu, only he would have to use them more sparingly from now on.

There was one way to remove the seal, but he hoped it would never come to that.

Suddenly, he twisted around as the sound of a footstep drew his attention.

Stepping out from behind a rock was a strange man. One with his face hidden in shadows, and nothing but a soft gleam coming from his eyes. He wore a strange white pair of robes, and it put him on edge to know this man had gotten the drop on him. "Who are you, and how did you get in here?"

"I believe that is my line. No matter. I am the headmaster at this school, and I walked." Naruto kept his eyes on the man as he walked towards where a cardinal kanji had been. The man inspected the ground for a second before turning to face him again. "Interesting youjutsu you just used, young man. Would you mind telling me what it was you were doing?"

Naruto crossed his arms, using the motion to hide the fact his hand had gone to a hidden kunai kept in the folds of his vest. "Depends. Are you going to answer my second question or not?"

The man grinned, showing off teeth that were just a touch too white to be normal. "A suspicious mind. Wonderful. I'm not sure what sort of magic you were using, but when it blocked off the feeling of youki from this place, I knew something was wrong. There was so much strange energy in the air, it was easy to enter unnoticed. I also must ask what happened to your dopplegangers. I've never seen a technique quite like it, and they disappeared before I could get a good look."

Silently cursing himself, Naruto relaxed his senses for a moment. It was true. The chamber was not filled with chakra, which he had been looking for, but it seemed to be filled with some other type of energy. Clearly it was the energy that these monsters seemed to favor.

Naruto smiled. "It's a secret, you know. I thought I wasn't supposed to give away what sort of monster I was. Are you testing me headmaster? I admit, I should have come to you first about enrolling, but I got distracted and before I knew it, had to take care of a few things."

"Oh ho? Really now?"

Clearly the man didn't believe Naruto's story, but he had him in a corner. His own rules said that he was to keep his 'monster form' a secret. Unless he wanted to break that rule and force Naruto's hand, he wouldn't be allowed to pry anymore. At least, he hoped so.

"You're certainly right," the headmaster began, "excuse my prying ways. Whatever your ritual was for, I can no longer sense your inner beast, and so I cannot complain. A most excellent disguise." Naruto felt a drop of sweat collect on his brow, wondering how much the man knew already. "Ahh, but look at me rattle on. If you could just give me a name, I'll make sure to have your student registration taken care of right away."

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Nodding, the headmaster began to leave the chamber. As he reached the door, he stopped for a moment, not bothering to turn around. "Welcome to the Youkai Academi, Uzumaki-san. I do look forward to seeing what you and Mr. Aono will accomplish." And with that, the man was gone.

Naruto stood there, waiting to make sure the man was truly gone. He let out a shaky breath before he began to gather his sealing equipment. He had a feeling that his desire to avoid conflict in this new time had just abandoned him with the headmaster.

* * *

Notes:

- I hardly follow any manga and anime anymore, so bear with me if I make mistakes. The last time I read Naruto manga was years ago, and I am not exactly up to date with Rosario, either. That being said, some things will not be mistakes, but deliberate changes.

- In terms of power, I must admit, it isn't overly important. I include this because I know there will be inevitable arguments about power, though. So as a general guide, the rough demon to ninja power scale is:

Genin = Average monster. Strong enough that they can take out humans easily enough, but nothing too special.

Chuunin = Most of Tsukune's harem. Kurumu, Mizore, etc., would be about equal to an average chuunin. A cut above the rest, but still rough and unrefined.

Jounin = Inner Moka is a low level jounin. Still quite strong, and heads above the average demon, but still only Jounin. Akua would likely rate as a high level jounin.

Kage = Akasha Bloodriver. Probably Touhou Fuhai when he was in his prime, though I imagine him still being something of a "low level" kage, if you will. More like a sannin.

Now, why would I do this? Because while the demon world is vicious, it still doesn't train it's people to fight in the same way that Naruto's world did. Most people are not warriors, and rely solely on their demon blood to carry them through a fight. Those that are warriors, are correspondingly higher. If Inner-Moka trained more, she could easily use the power granted to her at a higher level.

Naruto is very much a chuunin in terms of power right now. He has sealed his chakra so he has only the reserves of a chuunin. And ultimately, he is still human. In a straight up contest of physical prowess, he would lose to a demon. But given his fight training, it more than makes up for it against the vast majority of untrained fighters.

I hope that avoids any flames about making anyone too weak!

Peace out!

~Ryl


	2. Accord

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who replied to the first chapter. Reviews are a great motivators to actually sit down and write some more.

Since I got quite a few questions and remarks about the last chapter, I would like to clarify something.

A lot of what you consider strange behavior, or foolish, is actually done with a purpose in mind.

Now. I will admit, I very well may make mistakes where I introduce something, and it may end up being foolish in retrospect. However, all the things brought up in the reviews so far, were actually planned and well thought out. I didn't give you answers yet because things will come together in their due time.

Also, bear in mind. The first chapter was some 3,000 words. So there wasn't much room to build things into the story yet. Some of the major questions, _some_, are answered in this chapter. I would say getting a slew of questions answered in 7-8k words in a normal novel is quite reasonable.

As for power levels, all I will ask is one question. What need has there been so far for Naruto to be strong? He is far from weak, even with his chakra sealed. If you dislike that, I will remind you of a spandex wearing ninja who doesn't even use chakra, and can kick ass like no tomorrow. Naruto still has a lot going for him. And yes, there are reasons and justifications for his actions.

Anyways, I hope that addresses some of the concerns.

* * *

**The Path between Humans and Demons**

_Chapter 2: Accord_

_Edited 12/20/2011  
_

* * *

"Let me get this straight. The girls turned into fish monsters and tried to eat you?"

Tsukune nodded, looking totally worn out just thinking of the experience. Naruto shook his head and placed a companionable hand on the kid's shoulder. "Welcome to the club kid. A club where the gods like to see you squirm as you get thrown ass first into situations way over your head."

Naruto grinned, trying to break the tension. "Hey. Look at it this way. Maybe you'll make it long enough to see the next poor fool get sacrificed for some god's sick sense of humor. Trust me, it's a real laugh to watch."

The boy gave him a dirty look, and Naruto just picked at his ear, not really worried about what a softie like Tsukune could do to him. Tsukune sighed, giving it up. "Well, what about you Naruto-san? Have you chosen a club to join?"

The ninja leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk. "Nah. Sensei wants us to learn how to blend in with humans more. As I see it, I'm good there. You can keep your newspaper club. I plan to just enjoy myself when I can."

"You couldn't blend in if you tried," Tsukune deadpanned.

"What was that?" Naruto shot to his feet, but stopped yelling when he heard the door to the classroom slide open.

Moka-chan and Kurumu came in, talking animatedly to one another until they saw him in the room. At his tiny wave, the vampire smiled and greeted him while the other girl just ignored him. He held back a sigh at her cold behavior as she made her way to sit next to Tsukune. After greeting the boy with a bright smile, she finally deemed to give Naruto a dirty look. "Shouldn't you be leaving Uzumaki-san? We're about to start our club meeting, and you're not invited."

Naruto put on a smile, at least partially used to her ribbing after the past few weeks. He wasn't sure what he had done to anger the girl, but he was intent on breaking through her animosity eventually. "Just about to leave, Kurumu-chan." The girl snorted and turned to stare out the window, obviously deciding it wasn't worth it to rib him anymore.

He wondered if he would ever understand that girl.

Giving it up as a bad job, he stood and grabbed his bag to leave. Before he could reach the door though, it opened, letting Nekonome-sensei and a senior student into the room. Naruto had to resist the urge to groan when he saw the other student. A real pretty boy, standing there with a bouqet of flowers and what he seemed to think was a winning smile. He was glad to see that Moka-chan was oblivious to his obvious interest in her, and he could have sworn he saw Kurumu roll her eyes at the new guy.

As the new guy introduced himself to Moka-chan, Nekonome-sensei came over and smiled at him. "Naruto-kun. Have you decided to join the newspaper club?" Her smile and wagging tail made him feel bad to tell her no.

"Sorry, sensei. I was just visiting some friends before I went back to the dorms. I'll get out of your way." He tried to leave when she shook her head at him.

"Wait a moment, Naruto-kun. I'd like you to meet your senpai." Forcing a smile to his face over the less than agreeable idea, Naruto turned around.

The boy had pressed his flowers into Moka-chan's arms, and kept sprouting some garbage at her until sensei was forced to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention. With a short look at Naruto, the boy turned around to start talking to Moka-chan again.

A moment later, and sporting a series of claw marks as well as a healthy fear for the teacher, the boy was facing Naruto and holding out a hand to shake. "The name is Gin. What brings my tiny little kouhai here? Thinking of joining the club, Naruto-kun? I have to warn you, if you're here just to talk to pretty girls, that won't do. We're a serious club, and I can't have you distracting them." While he was talking, Naruto could feel the boy increasing the pressure in his grip, causing more than a few bones to groan in protest. It was only through a slight application of chakra that he managed to avoid having anything break in his hand.

And the kouhai talk. This guy was acting like a rutting Inuzuka alpha male, the way he was trying to protect his 'territory'. Besides, the only reason this brat was his senpai was because that bastard headmaster had manufactured a lame ass excuse to keep him in the first year classes with Tsukune. No doubt he wanted to keep his human pets together.

Still, Naruto didn't let his feelings show. "Just visiting my friend Tsukune here. I'm hurt that you would think I would get in the way, senpai." Gin looked at him for a split second, and the tension in the room rose before it suddenly disappeared behind the other student's smile.

As he made his way over to talk to Tsukune, the blonde made a one handed seal before reaching into his pocket for the key to his locker. Infusing it with a touch of lightning chakra, he made sure to slip by Gin on his way out of the room, dropping the key into his back pocket.

Saying goodbye to sensei he began to make his way down the hallway until he heard a large yelp come from the classroom. Naruto grinned. Those metal chairs could be pretty dangerous to sit on when you are carrying along a bit of extra charge.

* * *

The moon was beautiful tonight.

Naruto hated sitting still. To be more accurate, he hated the feeling that he wasn't working towards his goals somehow. The few times he enjoyed the relative peace was when he was in the middle of nature. Normally a moon this large and clear would help him work out his trouble. Only this time it made him feel a bit sad to watch it.

He just wasn't sure what to do with himself anymore.

The past few weeks here at the Youkai academy had been interesting enough. He had made a few friends with the people here, as well as a few enemies of sorts. While he had always been a bit of a hot head, he looked downright passive compared to a few of his classmates. The things he heard them saying about humans honestly made him wonder if this school was doing any good. Maybe they would never hunt down a human, but as monsters, they held a pretty low opinion about humans. According to them, all humans were good for was to be ruled by the monsters, or to be food. In a way, Naruto was thankful that human weaponry had advanced enough to give the monsters pause.

Still, it was funny in that laugh until you cry sort of way. When he was a kid, he was looked down on because people saw him as a demon. Now if people knew he was a human, they would be after him as well.

At least there were a few people he felt comfortable around.

The day to day Moka-chan was one of them. If he hadn't met her alter ego, he would have trouble believing she was actually a vampire. He was convinced the girl didn't have a mean bone in her body when she was in that state. Hell, she could make Hinata look like she had a mean streak in comparison. Whenever he talked to her, it was like he was watching over a younger sister.

A younger sister with a psychotic vampire sealed inside her. In a way that made him feel a bit closer to the girl, but only slightly. It was obvious the bond between Moka-chan and her inner vampire was different what his own had been. For one, it seemed more like the two girls shared one body, giving the inner self a chance to stretch her legs on occasion. That, and their relationship seemed far more friendly.

Though, his own relationship with Moka-chan's tenant was far less pleasant. Not that he didn't deserve it for the way he treated her when he first arrived here. He had been slightly confused when coming out of his forced sleep, and taunting her had helped him focus on something else while his mind caught up to what was going on. Well, there was also the fact that she reminded him of a lot of the stiffs he had known back in Konoha. A few choice words, and you could throw them off their game pretty easily.

As for Tsukune, he was a good guy. He had ended up in a crappy situation, but he was handling it pretty well. In a way, he related to him. He had always had a habit for ending up in situations well over his head, and Tsukune was showing the same penchant for coming out relatively unharmed. He even had the same saving people problem as Naruto.

That earned him some serious points in the ninja's books. He didn't have a demon inside of his belly looking out for his health. It took some serious guts to get the hots for a vampire and to keep up with the trouble she brought with her.

The one he just couldn't understand was Kurumu. Every time he looked at her, it was like he had some sort of niggling thought in the back of his head he couldn't quite grasp. It would be easy to ignore though, if he was sure that she actually hated him so much. Occasionally he would catch her smiling along with the rest when he told the others a joke. Or she would stare at him just a touch longer than was normal when she thought he wouldn't notice. The worst part was she was not a mean girl by any means. Most of the time she came across as very nice and caring, and that made her behavior all the more puzzling.

Groaning, he leaned back until he was flat against the school's rooftop. "The whole thing is so not worth the effort."

Taking a deep breath, he continued to stare at the moon, looking for some insight on what to do.

His thoughts were broken, though, when he heard the sound of something going on somewhere nearby. Standing up, he was about to try and sense where the disturbance was taking place when the answer jumped out at him. Whatever was going on, it involved Moka-chan's inner self coming out, and that energy was hard to miss.

"I guess that's my cue," he muttered, disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Moka cursed her fortune. If only this wretch had attacked them an hour earlier, she would have been able to combat him when the moon had been hidden by cloud cover. Now that those treacherous clouds had moved on, she was forced to face this cretin when he had an unadulterated view of the moon.

To think that such a lowly creature would be able to make a mockery of her like this.

She caught his form moving from the corner of her eye, and attempted a spinning hook kick in the hopes to catch him as he came at her from behind. It was for naught though when she felt him duck under the attack and back away once more.

"Ohhh," a new voice called out, "I'm sorry Oba-san, but I'm going to have to give you a 2 out of 10 on form for that one. He dodged it by a mile."

Moka groaned, spinning around, afraid to see the one person she hadn't wanted to appear. And yet there he was. Standing on the roof to the stair enclosure, Naruto was watching their fight with an annoying grin on his face. A part of her wished to go up their and wipe that smile off his face. This was a fight for her dignity, and was not some spectacle for his amusement!

Before she could demand that he leave, the wolf before her howled its anger to the heavens. "Uzumaki! I thought we had an understanding you and I. You wouldn't interrupt my time with my club mates."

Naruto raised a hand and waggled a finger at Gin, as if scolding a child. "Now now mutt. I wasn't going to interrupt your club. But all I see right now is a dog who thinks he is the alpha and has his choice of bitches. Normally I'd pound you on the principal alone, but I think Oba-san over there is more than enough to show you who is the leader of the pack."

Moka raised an eyebrow at the surprisingly chivalrous display from the blonde, but stayed her questions in lieu of keeping an eye on her opponent. The werewolf howled again, this time devolving into laughter as he turned to face Moka once more, his eyes glazed slightly in his lust. "No one will get in the way of our special moment!" Sparing a quick glance at Uzumaki once more, she saw he truly had no intention to help her. While that suited her pride, she was becoming forced to admit that she would fair much better if he would lend her his strength.

Ducking to avoid the opening swipe from the werewolf's claws, she was quickly pressed into defense. All the while, she tried her best to ignore Uzumaki's incessent comments and so called humorous remarks on her fighting prowess. She was certainly NOT getting slower with old age. It was this beast that was remarkably fast and agile. And she had no idea who this Tsunade person was that he kept calling her, though she hoped that the person had injured the blonde in the past.

Jumping to avoid a particularly vicious kick from the werewolf, she cursed her lapse in judgement. In the air, she lacked the mobility to defend herself properly. Sensing his opportunity, Gin jumped behind her, a claw drawn back to strike her down. She attempted to twist her body to meet the blow in time, though she knew she would never make it.

Yet all she felt was the air as his strike kicked up as it narrowly missed her.

Landing in a crouch, she struggled to control her panting. At this rate, she was sure to lose this battle.

"You know," Uzumaki began, causing both combatants to halt, "it seems kind of stupid to go and fight a faster opponent out in the open. Just saying."

Moka prepared a retort when the validity of his statement struck her. She felt the fool for not thinking of such a solution earlier. Still, it appeared as if the werewolf would not allow their battle to stray elsewhere. His roar was ferocious as he glared at the blonde. "As if I'll let her escape me while her friends are here!" The wolf rushed Tsukune, and Moka felt a blossoming of fear in her chest for the first time. As a simple human, Tsukune possessed no hope of escaping the tearing claws and teeth of Gin. Yet as he came within striking distance, a strong breeze destroyed the beasts footing, sending him end over end into the walls surrounding the stairway.

"Back in my day," Uzumaki began with a voice even and without any humor, "wolves were thought to have a sense of honor. Stop embarrassing yourself. Unless you want me to come down there, you best face Moka alone and leave the others out of this." The way he spoke sent chills down the vampires spine. She was unaccustomed to feeling fear from any other creature. As a vampire, there were precious few who could challenge her. Yet this man was a complete mystery. Though he acted the fool one moment, he could quickly switch to a more powerful persona. An unknown factor in this fight, using youjutsu she could not even begin to recognize. She had no doubts that he could easily defeat Gin if he so desired.

Gin let out a frustrated growl and whirled to face Moka once more. Without waiting for him to attack, she ran to the side of the building, launching herself towards and through a window the led to the abandoned hallways of the school. She could hear his angry howls from behind her, though she didn't wait for him. She was already moving as he joined her inside the school.

Uzumaki had been correct in his guess. While Gin still possessed greater speed than her, the wolf was forced to scramble in order to make the corners, and had to sacrifice speed for a steady footing.

Racing down a long corridor, she let the beast gain on her, building his sense of confidence. Just as he was almost upon her, she turned a corner and came to a halt. Claws digging into the ground, the wolf struggled to make the turn with her, but was unable to steady himself before she launched a powerful sidekick into his sternum.

Before he could recover, she spun around, throwing her hips into a spinning roundhouse kick that sent Gin flying down the hallway. At the end of the hallway he struck a window, flying through with the shards of glass to land in the courtyard below. The strength of her blows had taken the fight out of the wolf, and the landing seemingly rendered him unconscious.

She jumped to the ground below, seeing that Uzumaki was already standing there with Tsukune and the succubus. His face was exceptionally grim as he stared at the wolf. When he finally looked up, she gave him the briefest of nods, giving her thanks for his advice. She was treated to a very weak smile in return as he turned away.

"I have to go now," the blonde said. His head turned so he was facing Tsukune slightly, "As I said, welcome to the club." His face looked both sad and angry. Yet before anyone could question it, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

While the others were staring at the space the mysterious Uzumaki had disappeared from, Moka strode forward and took the rosary from Tsukune's slack hand. Someday she too would have to ponder on the enigma that was Uzumaki. It confused her, how someone could go from being so carefree to looking like an old soul that had seen far too much.

And Moka hated to be confused.

* * *

Naruto's fist left an indent on the tree before him. He could feel the blood running over his knuckles from where he had torn skin. Focusing on his breathing, he tried to calm himself. Around him, nearly a half dozen trees lay destroyed from his attempts to vent his frustrations.

He had been outwardly calm enough while Moka fought Gin. Inside he had been boiling over. He was still an outsider in this place. If he coddled people and fought their battles for them, they would never survive any future challenges this place would throw at them. Yet, while that had seemed like a great decision when he originally came up with it, following through on it was difficult. Very difficult. That had been the hardest part of being a kage. Letting others fight their own battles.

Seeing some fool try to kill, and possibly rape, a friend of his had nearly sent him over the edge. He had fought for peace to return to the world, and instead he came back to this crap. A world where people had to fight day to day just to survive.

Naruto sent another punch into the tree in front of him, ignoring the snap as bones broke in his hand.

He really wondered what it was that convinced him to break the seal that kept him sleeping all those years. Whatever it was, it must have been important, only now he had forgotten it like a half remembered dream. And even if he chose to use the seal again, it would be another year before his body could accept the seals once more.

Not that he would use them. While there was a part of him that didn't want to be reminded of the pain this sort of life brought with it, he would not abandon his new friends. Tsukune was a good guy. A good guy who was in over his head, and Naruto felt responsible to be there to see him through this mess.

The ninja stiffened when he heard someone coming. Turning around, he saw Kurumu enter the clearing slowly, eyes wide as she took in the small swath of destruction.

"Is there something I can help you with, Kurumu-san?" He kept his voice even, not really feeling up to starting another fight with her.

"Did something..." she starting, looking a bit shaken before she changed tact. "Are you alright?"

The one time Hokage let out a long breath before kneeling down to place a hand on one of the destroyed tree trunks. Imbuing it with basic medical chakra, the only sort he was at all proficient with, he avoided the question. Instead he focused on trying to repair the damage he caused. Back in his days, newly minted chuunin would learn this revitalization technique and practice it on all the tree's around the village. It wasn't a mokuton jutsu, but it helped the trees grow back marginally faster.

Once he finished, he looked up to see Kurumu still standing there, looking uncomfortable as she waited for an answer. He stood up, crossing his arms while looking at the succubus. "Does it really matter to you, Kurumu-san? I thought you couldn't care less what happened to me."

The girl winced, and opted to sit down with her back to one of the trees ringing the edge of the clearing, not really looking at Naruto. "I've not been that bad, have I?" Her voice was soft and hesitant, giving him the impression she already knew the answer to that question.

Naruto sighed, letting go of some of his hostility. "Kurumu-chan, I saved your life. I stepped into a fight that I had no understanding of to try and protect you, and you respond by hitting me and trying to get me in trouble with the teachers here. I would say you have been incredibly clear in your dislike of me." He sat down on a log, waiting for her to look up and make eye contact with her. "What's the deal. I know you're not that cruel. I've seen how you interact with others, and you're not the queen bitch type. What did I do to earn the attitude?"

The succubus flushed a bit, breaking eye contact in the interest of staring at the root near his feet. "Its not that I don't appreciate your help. I just wish you hadn't. It just made everything that much more difficult."

Naruto raised his eyebrow, not sure what she was getting out. Kurumu fidgeted. "Most men," she began, "would fall over themselves to try and please me. It is part of being a succubus, and I'm used to it. I even liked it for awhile. It's part of who I am. Like air and water, succubi draw power from love and adoration. Both giving and receiving it. So when Moka-san started to steal that from me, I was desperate and angry and not thinking straight. So I tried to steal Tsukune from her."

The blue haired girl ran a hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. He could see the conversation wasn't easy on her, but Naruto didn't want to give her any reason to stop by saying something.

"It didn't matter how hard I tried to enthrall him. In the end, he wouldn't completely abandon Moka-san. Normally my gift would have men drop everything to be with me in that situation. Instead of seeing it as something special and amazing, I saw it as just another thing Moka-san was taking from me. So I attacked both of them, hoping to remove the competition."

"What I did was horrible, and I could have killed Moka-san or Tsukune! And then you had to come along and save me. You protected me from my own stupidity." The girl was crying now. "I didn't deserve your help. I almost killed two people because of my vanity! I'm a succubus, but I never felt like a monster until that day."

The girl's crying became full blown sobs, her knees drawing up into her chest as she let the tears flow. Naruto had a sad smile on his face. He finally understood what it was he had done to the girl. It was silly of her, but she thought he had kept her from getting the punishment she felt she deserved.

Naruto moved to her side, not really touching her, but staying close enough that she knew he was there for her. Finally her tears began to ebb, and he waited for her to compose herself before saying anything.

"You know Kurumu-chan," he began softly, "I think it was a good thing that you attacked those two." The girl gave him a shocked look, but he went on. "In my village, we were trained to be soldiers. I was eight when they first started training me to fight, and I entered the ranks when I was twelve. While my village was the most peaceful, we were still taught to make light of death. We were true monsters."

The ninja smiled at Kurumu. "But things are different here. You're being taught how to co-exist with others. Besides, you're a succubus. From the sound of things, you are _meant _to want attention from men. When Moka-san threatened that, you reacted. Its as natural a thing as fighting for food when starved. Lucky for you, no one got hurt this time, but it taught you an important lesson. It taught you how to control those urges, and shows that you're no monster if it bothers you this much."

"Besides," here he shot her a grin, "you're far too cute to worry over what could have been."

Kurumu blushed, and lightly elbowed his side. "You're incorrigable." She looked at him again, "Thanks. You're right, though. I need to learn to control myself, and I shouldn't have let my own shame give me an excuse to take things out on you." She bowed her head slightly, "I'm sorry, Naruto."

He waved her off, and the two sat quietly for a few moments. Seeing she wasn't going to say anything more at the moment, Naruto coughed, grabbing her attention. "So. What brought you out here?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I totally forgot about that. Tsukune wanted me to come thank you while he looked after Moka-san's injuries. And I suppose I was curious too. You didn't look very happy at the end of the fight..." she trailed off here, looking at the damage in the clearing.

"I was a little angry..." Naruto deadpanned, and Kurumu didn't seem inclined to press the matter right now.

"It's a good thing no one but Gin were seriously injured," the girl went on, "though I'm surprised you didn't step in to help. I think Tsukune is a bit disappointed you didn't."

"I won't always be there to fight their battles. I learned a long time ago that if you don't let your friends fight their own battles, they'll never grow strong enough to protect you when you're not there for them." Naruto tried to not sound bitter, but evidently he failed, because Kurumu laid a hand on his forearm. Smiling at her, the blonde ignored the pain in his chest.

"So, out of curiosity, why do you always make fun of Inner-Moka when she appears?"

Naruto grinned. "She reminds me of a few people I knew back home. She has the strength and temper of one person I knew, and a stick so far up her"

"I get it!" Kurumu yelled, interrupting him. Her face was red with embarrassment as she stood up in a huff. "I don't need that sort of image in my head!" The succubus sighed and reached a hand down to help him up. "You must have driven your friends crazy back home."

"All the time," Naruto agreed. "And I have the head trauma to prove it too."

Kurumu rolled her eyes. "Come on. We should be getting back."

With that, the two of them made their way back to the school, separating at the end to go to their dorms. As Naruto lay back on his bed, he couldn't help but smile. Maybe there was some hope that peace could be had after all.

* * *

Whew. I'm sure the chapter could use a fine tooth comb read through and edit, but as I've said, this is all about having fun. I like to do a fine read through a week or two down the line. And since I didn't want to keep people waiting, here you go. Besides, this is something to keep me from being bored.

And there we go, a peaceful accord between Kurumu and Naruto at last. Well, peaceful enough until he does something stupid, I suppose. I guess they will be having a lot of tiny spats.

As for Gin, I suspect a will get a few people upset with how I portrayed him. All I will say is that, at the root of things, he was trying to kill Tsukune and take Moka for his own in the manga. He was far from a gentle or generous person in the original story. (Along with almost everyone else. Anyone notice a pattern of "Monster tries to kill me, then joins the harem/group of friends"? With friends like that...)

The next chapter will likely have more humor to it. As something of a sneak peak, I will say that a certain Public Safety committee member is going to have a rough few weeks. Maybe after that chapter I will start winding up for the first real important set of events I have in mind.

Please review, it is great motivation.

Peace!

~ Ryl


	3. Foxes and Slugs

Another chapter. Whew. I hope everyone enjoys this one. As promised, it is mostly comedy. I slipped in some character development and plot forwarding, but this was mostly meant to be amusing. Comments on any changes from the original Rosario universe as a result of this chapter are discussed at the end of the chapter. Just remember, as soon as Naruto stepped into this universe, it became an AU.

As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed. It helped motivate me to get this chapter done faster.

A big thanks to **DragonMasterFlex**. You provided some interesting conversations about the chapters so far. While I don't necessarily agree with your views, it was good to have a peaceful conversation about things.

Without further adieu, on to the chapter.

* * *

**The Path between Humans and Demons**

_Chapter 3: Foxes and Slugs_

_Updated 12/21/2011  
_

* * *

"Out of my way," Kuyou roared. The underclassman staggered, yet the fox demon couldn't care less. His goal was the bathroom at the end of the hallway, and hell would be had for any poor fool who stood in his way.

Most simply stood to the edge of the hallways, afraid of his reputation as they ought to be. A few, though, were laughing. The little cretins thought this was _funny_. If there weren't so many teachers around, these pathetic monsters would pay for their disrespect.

And as for the one who did this to him...their death would be slow. Slow and incredibly painful. His kitsunebi would feast well on their flesh before he finally let them die.

More laughter drifted towards him from a nearby classroom. He spared her a glare, but the unobstructed view of his face only served to garner more laughter from the students. Lowering his gaze once more, he rushed for the bathrooms. This ink had better come off in water.

He would show the world who the 'Runt of the litter' was.

* * *

Kyuubi was roaring with laughter in Naruto's mindscape. While he rarely agreed with the fox spirit, this was one case where they were both in accord. When they first met this pompous fool, Kyuubi has bristled, sounding an outraged cry.

The fool monster hadn't been trying to hide his power at all. He had been exuding an aura that, for lack of a better term, stunk of foxes to the demon inside Naruto. The territorial part of the spirit in his stomach was railing to destroy the public safety committee member.

And after a short spying expedition? Well, hearing Kuyou go on in private about his power as a four-tailed fox, both Naruto and Kyuubi were a touch offended. It seemed the standard for a kitsune had dropped in the past thousand years.

'Wannabe fox demons need to learn their place,' Naruto thought with a smirk. Passing the other boy in the bathroom, he slipped a seal into his back pocket before entering the stall.

Personally, he was really starting to look forward to that public safety assembly later today.

* * *

Kuyou made his way to the assembly hall. Here and now was his chance to strike fear into the students of this school. Many had become lax before the arm of the public safety committee, and he would not stand for these lesser monsters going against his wishes.

Despite the setback this morning, he was confident in the power and image of the public safety committee. Each day their power grew, and soon they would have full control of the student body. He was a powerful demon, a noble Kitsune, and it was only the natural order that these lower creatures follow his order.

Still, he walked a fine line. That damned Exorcist principal of theirs had powers he had not yet come to understand. For now he had to move slowly, securing his power to a point where that damned man would no longer be able to oust him.

Waiting in the wings of the stage, he feigned patience for an interminable amount of time for the pathetic excuse of a teacher to finish their opening remarks. During their closing remarks, and before the gnome like teacher had called for him, he made his way out before the school. Seeing him coming, the short creature finished it's words and passed him the microphone before scurrying off.

Kuyou turned to face the crowd. This was the feeling he lived for. Watching these little creatures squirm as he stood before them, waiting for him to explain their place in his world.

Opening his mouth, he was prepared to speak when a sound filled the room. A sound coming from his back. A horrible embarrassing..._farting_ sound. And the odor! It was quickly filling the entire auditorium, causing disgust in the body of students before him. The students were pointing and whispering now, ignoring his calls for attention.

Kuyou could feel his anger growing. He would hunt down every student who was mocking him, remind them who was in charge of this school. Looking out into the crowd, he began to commit faces to memory until he saw one non-descript student staring back at him. He was silent, and not a drop of mirth on his face.

And for the first time, Kuyou felt true terror strike his heart.

Just over his shoulder sat the projection of a being he knew instinctively. The strongest fox demon that had ever been. Horrible in his anger and with unrivaled destructive power.

And it was looking at him like it wanted nothing more than to devour his soul.

Kuyou hardly noticed when people began to point and laugh at him. Nor did he notice that the source of their amusement was the visibly growing dampness on the front of his pants. All he could do was to focus on breathing as the boy turned and left the room.

* * *

Naruto turned a corner, and seeing no one nearby, let his henge drop. Stretching, he let out a content sigh. That was a morning of pranks to be proud of.

Naruto waited patiently for everyone to pile out of the auditorium, enjoying the rumors that were now spreading about the public safety president. He didn't have to wait long before Tsukune and the others left the room as well, making their way towards homeroom. Though, they seemed to be joined by the latest person in Tsukune's growing harem. A young witch by the name Yuki...Yuri...something like that.

"Interesting assembly?"

"Did you miss the assembly, Naruto-san?" Moka-chan asked him, looking worried at the thought. "It was required of all the students. If sensei finds out you skipped, you'll be in trouble."

Naruto grinned, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Don't worry about me. It'll be fine."

About that time, the little witch piped up, trying her best to look cocky. "He's right, Moka-san. Naruto-san here is so dumb he can pretend he didn't even understand what sensei told him to do." The girl stuck her tongue at him, and hugged Moka-chan's arm protectively.

"Why you..." Naruto began, before he smirked. "Wait. Who are you again?"

The girl puffed out her cheeks, obviously angry as she pulled Moka-chan ahead. Tsukune gave him an apologetic look before hurrying to catch up with the two girls. Looking at Tsukune for a moment, Kurumu-chan shook her head at their antics, opting to stay back with the blonde.

"Naruto," she began, "you wouldn't happen to know why Kuyou was having some difficulties during his speech, would you?"

The ninja smiled, "No idea. Maybe he needs to check the expiration date on his milk more often?"

"Right," the succubus drawled, "And the marks I saw on his face this morning?"

"Acne," Naruto said, nodding sympathetically. "I hear it can be pretty bad for some people."

Kurumu-chan shook her head and started to walk away before stopping a few feet in front of him. "What flowers should I bring," she asked, not turning around.

Naruto stopped, confused at her question. "Huh?"

The blue haired girl looked over her shoulder, smirking at him playfully. "To your funeral."

Naruto grinned. "Hydrangea. Orange ones."

* * *

Nagare giggled to himself.

Beautiful. She was so beautiful. His Kurumu-chan was simply amazing.

The slug demon wiped the sweat from his forehead, trying to protect his precious camera. Inside were the results of his latest film shoots, and he couldn't afford to lose such valuable material. He was sure that one of these photos would be the perfect picture to impress his love with. And then they could have that promised date.

He giggled again, lifting the telephoto lens back to his eye.

Oh! Oh my god! Kurumu-chan was taking off all her clothes. In front of her open window! If only she would turn around, he would be in heaven!

Panting, he focused on steadying his camera. Inch by inch, the pale silky smooth flesh of her back came into view. Finally the sweater was off, and she was turning to face the window. His heart was racing and the sweat was pouring down his face now.

And then he gagged in shock. Large couldn't even begin to describe her anymore. It was as if she had put on hundreds of pounds in a few moments! He wanted to put down the camera, but he couldn't seem to make his muscles listen anymore. He was forced to watch as her flesh undulated back and forth across her frame.

What had once been beautiful was now large and bloated.

It was then that he noticed she was pulling her skirt down. He tried to look away, but his eyes betrayed him. Slowly his eyes trailed to that secret spot and...

_NO!_

There was more to be found under Kurumu-chan's skirt than he ever wanted to see!

He was thrown back roughly as a his camera exploded in his face, sending him sliding back along the rooftop he was hiding on. He was in a daze, and more than a little glad that horrible sight was gone now. How could she have hidden such a thing? What sort of magic did it take to cover up such a disgusting form as that!

"Did you like the show?"

Nagare spun around, trying to spot the owner of that calm voice. The same blonde he had seen with Kurumu-chan recently was standing nearby, smirking down at him. "I call that my Pudgy Pervert surprise." The blonde gave him a toothy smile. "I love this new age when people can't recognize a simple genjutsu."

"You mean," Nagare began, putting the pieces together. Somehow this...this...fool had made him see those things. "I'll kill you. I'll KILL YOU!" The boy shot to his feet, panting now in his rage. "You ruined Kurumu-chan's beauty for me! I will never be able to look at her without thinking of that beast you showed me!" Beginning to transform, the blonde watched him for a moment, and only when he had neared the end of his slug transformation did the boy do anything. He smiled. He dared smile like something was amusing to him!

And then he disappeared from Nagare's vision. A moment later, a jolt of electricity shot through him, and he tumbled to the ground, a curtain of darkness falling over his vision.

The last thing he head was the blonde's calm voice. "The genjutsu was for Kurumu-chan's sake. This is because I don't like perverts."

* * *

The Exorcist looked out upon the grounds of his school.

This place was a church, and the students his flock. A wild flock to be tamed and guided by his hand. Many would serve little purpose in the coming dark days, but a few would be watched as they grew. Here he could shape them, examine and redirect their growth so they would become his perfect tools to combat the darkness.

Some might call him evil for his use of the students. Some would believe it his job to act their shield from the storm. In this he found his critics to possess flawed understanding of his goals. He modeled himself as neither sinner nor saint. His goal was solely prevent the outbreak of war between the humans and the monsters. He had given himself to a dream Akasha had struggled to achieve. With her passing, the path had become much more difficult, and those he forced to walk it with him were made to suffer a great deal more hardships.

One such person to be used was that curious human, Uzumaki Naruto. He could sense a greater power hidden within the boy, yet for all intents and purposes, he appeared human. No amount of research had turned up who or what he might be, but he was confident in time he would understand where to place him in his great scheme. For now, all he had to work with were the strange workings the boy wrought upon himself at their first meeting, and the strange disturbances that were happening within his school. Until he could understand this puzzle, he would make a fine protector of his other human project. He had many plans for Aono Tsukune, and he had no intention of letting him perish before he had fulfilled them.

The Exorcist turned around at the sound of a slight pop behind him. A wisp of smoke was drifting away from his desk, and atop his papers lay a short hand written note. Making his way over, he read the name on the paper, raising an eyebrow as he spotted Uzumaki-san's name.

Tearing open the letter, he read the contents, curious what the boy could want.

_Headmaster,_

_As a favor to my friend, Kanou Nagare, I am letting you know that he has decided to leave the school. While I am sure that we are all sad to see him leave, I can personally guarantee that his new home is quite beautiful, and that I think he will love it there. He has asked me to keep the location secret, but I assure you he is perfectly safe._

_Uzumaki Naruto_

The headmaster raised an eyebrow. Shrugging casually, he threw the letter to the side, not really worried about the contents. He was sure something was going on here, but frankly that slug boy was of little importance here. With him gone, he could perhaps get some peace from his female staff members.

* * *

_Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah_

Naked and alone, Nagare looked out across the barren landscape. Under the noon day sun, he did his best to remain as motionless as possible. The only safe place to stand was a small meter by meter square surrounded by miles of salted land.

"Somebody? Anybody? Please help me!"

* * *

No pity for stalker slugs. You can argue whether it would actually affect him or not, but I just love the imagery. Also, I won't question how Naruto got him out there if you won't. It was meant to be purely for comedy. Maybe he used one of those portals?

To those of you worried about how Kurumu will learn to wield illusions, don't worry. I will freely admit that she will pick this up in the future.

While I plan to harass Kuyou a bit more, he still has more important parts to play in this story beyond being a comedic punching bag. So to those of you who are wondering what will happen to the Public Safety Committee arc, don't worry. It won't be the same, but Kuyou will have his screen time.

As for the Exorcist bit, I do not buy that the man is made of sunshine and puppies. He uses Tsukune in the manga, and as such, I view him as being pretty manipulative. It **is** fair to say he will look out for your best interests as long as they coincide with his own. This will cause some waves in the future, I assure you.

Please leave reviews. They are great motivation to write. In many ways, I enjoy reading the reviews as much as I enjoy writing the chapters. It also gives me a reason to check my email when I am at work.

Also, I am still looking for a beta. Since I am doing this for fun, and want to post fairly regularly, I am not following my normal writing schedule of waiting two weeks to do revisions. So having a fresh set of eyes will reduce the number of typographical errors.

Until next time!

~Ryl


	4. The Coming Storm

Between preparing for grad school, moving, and general trouble with this chapter, I am glad to finally post this chapter. I don't really feel it is up to snuff, but instead of letting it sit on my hard drive forever and never posting it, I chose to just forge ahead and post. Given my schedule, I just need to know when to curb my desire to keep editing things.

Thanks to everyone who posted reviews. They brought me back to the computer when I didn't particularly want to edit this chapter.

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**The Path between Humans and Demons**

_Chapter 4: The Coming Storm_

* * *

"Fox King," Madara greeted with a theatrical bow. His tone was snide and condescending, displaying the Uchiha's arrogance as was usual.

Naruto didn't let his guard down for a minute. Every second around this maniac was an opportunity for him to strike, and every nerve was telling him to move, to run away from this monster of a man. His pride, and his desire to protect his village, kept him there. Standing in front of the gates of Konoha barring entrance to his village's worst enemy. "Madara. I would have prepared a welcome, but you can see we're sort of busy right now."

From behind came the sounds of fighting. Of those fighting for their lives and the freedom of Konoha's people. Konoha was burning in the flames of war.

"Konoha will fall, Naruto." Madara said softly, as if talking to a child. "You fight for an idea that should have died with bHashirama. You and your people don't need to die here. If you come quietly, all that will be lost is this land. They will have their place in my new world. Their life for yours. Isn't that what a good Hokage would do? Give his life to save his people?"

Naruto snarled. At his side, two large, two-tailed, foxes came into being, their fur raised as they growled at their opponent. "Every man and woman here today chose to fight to protect our will of fire, Madara. Even if you destroy the village, we will fight you at every turn, interfere in every one of your schemes, just to stop your madness. We will fight for the freedom of those precious to us, and you can't stop that."

The man began to laugh and applaud. "A wonderful speech, Hokage-dono! Yet still so very deluded." Reaching up to remove his mask, Madara slowly let his face come into view. The man was mad, the disease of his mind showing in his eyes, the mangekyo sharingan swirling at a dizzying pace. Naruto met his eyes, refusing to show fear. The seals across his own face flashing brightly as they worked to combat the sharingan's treacherous power.

"You think your shinobi, your so called friends, will make a difference. By bringing them here, you only help me."

A scream rang out from behind Naruto and though he knew he would regret it, he turned to see from whom the horrible sound issued. When he caught sight of the village gates, he felt his blood go cold.

And then he screamed. Full of rage and pain, joining the voice behind him.

* * *

Naruto shot up in his bed, tearing away the sweat covered sheets.

A dream. It was just a dream. He was no longer in Konoha. Madara was long dead, and he couldn't hurt anyone anymore.

But he could still hear the screams in his head.

Bringing his knees up, he rested his head between his legs, trying to control his shaking. He didn't even notice the sun rising until his alarm went off.

* * *

"The trick is to use layered illusions if you want to fool someone. Once they think they've beaten your illusion, you spring the second part of the trap on them. Remember, a trap is best set when the other person thinks there is a touch of danger. If they don't sense any danger, they will be ready for the worst. Too much danger, and they will work to circumvent your illusion entirely."

Naruto looked at Kurumu-chan, sizing her up for a moment. Frowning, he tried to forgive the fact that she was hardly paying attention to him. "Come on, Kurumu-chan. What would you do if fighting an opponent faster than you?

The succubus groaned, looking up from her homework. "Naruto! When you asked me to explain the abilities of a succubus, I didn't want to sit here hearing about how to best use them in a fight! I can't even use illusions yet! Now, I have to do my homework before Nekonome-sensei gets here, and you're bothering Tsukune. Right Tsukune?" She smiled brightly at the boy, looking to him to try and get her some peace to do her work.

Instead, Tsukune shook his head. "Actually, I find this kind of interesting." The boy scratched his head, looking sheepish at Kurumu-chan, who was looking betrayed. "I mean, we get to learn what you're capable of. And with all the trouble we've been getting into lately, its nice to know what we can do to try and keep everyone safe."

Kurumu-chan sighed, "Boys..." Turning back to her homework, she moved her desk to face away from Naruto, showing she wasn't interested anymore.

Naruto was about at the end of his patience with Kurumu. He was trying to help and she was worried about some stupid homework assignment. "Silly me, I thought you might want to learn how to not rely on Moka-chan all the time. I guess I was wrong."

Kurumu spun around, narrowing her eyes furiously. "Excuse me," she hissed. "I can get along just fine without her in a fight. And at least she helps us. You just stand there acting like you're so much better than the rest of us. I bet you would let your friends get hurt just so you can step in and play the hero!"

CRACK!

Standing up, he let the piece of his desk that he had torn off drop to the floor, ignoring the shocked look in Kurumu's eyes. Maybe she realized she had gone too far, or she was worried about his reaction. Either way, he wasn't in the mood to talk to her right now. Making his way out of the classroom, he didn't even acknowledge Nekonome-sensei as he passed her coming into the room.

* * *

Naruto reached into his pocket, his training taking over as he hid the motion from the person behind him. Pulling out a kunai, he waited for the right moment before casually flicking the kunai over his shoulder. Judging by the sound of the kunai hitting dirt, and the sharp intake of breath, he had hit his mark and come close to the intruders feet.

"Hehehe. You need to work on your aim, Naruto-kun. Though, if I were you I wouldn't try that again. Attacking teachers is a serious crime here."

The ninja looked over his shoulder, not really worried about what Ishigami-sensei had to say. She was one teacher he had a hard time getting along with. There was just something about her that didn't seem right. She had a smell of blood and snakes around her all the time. Kind of like Anko, but without the good kind of crazy that made Anko fun to be around.

In a way, Ishigami made him think of what a love child between Orochimaru and Deidara would turn out like. She really did sport that 'lock away your children' style of creepiness, and was way too obsessed with her art.

He had been subtly keeping Tsukune and the rest from being alone with the art teacher. Something told him that it would be a bad idea to leave Ishigami alone with Kurumu or Moka-chan. Not that people like Kurumu could appreciate the gesture.

"Don't worry, I wasn't aiming for you. I know not to stick my kunai in crazy people."

The woman's eyes narrowed, and Naruto smirked when he felt her killing intent spike. Maybe it wasn't the brightest of ideas to pick on a monster, but he was in a bad mood, and feeling petty. Finally, she managed to get out a laugh, trying to act like she didn't care about his taunts. "Such a witty child. Just be glad that the headmaster wants to see you, boy. Otherwise there would be a detention waiting for you. Maybe next time I can teach you to appreciate my art."

"Right," Naruto said, already deciding that if that ever happened he would just not show up. No way he would let himself be alone in a room with this woman.

Getting up, he walked until the teacher was out of sight, and shunshined his way towards the headmasters office.

* * *

Naruto slid into the shadows of the headmaster's office.

He knew from sending the letter about Nagare, that the headmaster was not as skilled a sensor as he first believed. When he had been discovered in the cave, he had been worried that he would be under watch by a keen eye. For all Naruto knew, the robed man was excellent when sensing youki. But so far it seemed that chakra was harder for monsters to detect, and he had managed to get away with more than he had first anticipated.

Most likely, human energy was probably a foreign concept to monsters, so much so that they never thought to look for it. Killing intent would probably show up just fine, but he wasn't about to experiment.

"Hello Uzumaki-san," the man said, not looking up from his work. "Please take a seat."

The ninja blinked. Looking around, he saw small symbols glowing in the corners of the room, and Naruto figured the old man had taken precautions against anyone sneaking in on him again. Shrugging, he accepted the change and sat down on a high wooden backed chair in front of the desk. While there was a more comfortable looking chair nearby, he had chosen this one so he could move quickly in case of anything. He didn't trust the so called Exorcist, and he wasn't going to be caught flat footed if something did come up.

Jiraiya would have been proud of him, finally thinking these sorts of things through. In the last ninja war, it had become important for him to watch out for betrayal at every turn.

The headmaster finally looked up from his work, his face hidden in shadow as he examined Naruto. "I'm glad you could join me on such short notice."

"I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter, did I?"

The man leaned forward, steepling his fingers as he smiled. "No, I suppose not."

After a long emotionally draining day, Naruto wasn't feeling up to the back and forth banter. "What do you want now, Exorcist?"

The robed man chuckled, and Naruto frowned. The man had a cold humorless laugh, reminding him of Danzo when he thought he had finally cornered an opponent. Just hearing it made Naruto distrust the headmaster even more, but he held the feeling in check. After dreaming of Konoha, he was drawing far too many connections to his old life, and he had to try and recenter himself.

"You've done your research, I see. A very good thing for a boy in your situation. In a new school, unsure of what to do, you took the most logical course and familiarized yourself with the place and its people. My teachers have seen you visiting all parts of campus, and I must say that only makes me believe more in your skills."

"All I've done is try and get used to the school," Naruto countered. "Now would you please get to the point? Or can I go?"

The Exorcist didn't seem bothered by his impatience. "I have need of your skills, Uzumaki-san. Normally I would first try the carrot approach, but seeing as you seem to appreciate straight forward methods, you will be doing an errand for me. Doing so will mean the safety of your friends. And seeing as how you are so close to them already, I think it is safe to say you will agree to my terms."

Growling, Naruto shot to his feet, hands slamming down on the desk hard enough to crack the lacquered wood. He didn't care though, right now he was ready to tear that smug smile from his face. "You care to repeat that? I'd love to see who they get to replace you as headmaster."

The Exorcist smiled, and suddenly the room filled with the spiritual pressure of his youki. If Naruto had to guess, he would say it was every bit as strong as a sannin or even a kage back in his day. Still, he refused to back down to someone threatening his friends. "I chose you for your commitment to your friends," the headmaster began, "and so I will forgive the outburst. But I ask that you sit down so I can explain myself fully."

Naruto crossed his arms, remaining standing. "Go on," he said.

"Your friends are in no danger from me. However, for reasons that I will not share with you at this time, they are of interest to certain other groups in the monster world. It is my understanding that a high ranking member of this group will be visiting Japan soon. More specifically, they will be close enough to one of our portals into the real world that I cannot explain it as a coincidence. Are you understanding what I want you to do now?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "You want me to kill them, then. I'm sorry, but I'm not your hired assassin."

"Heaven's no," The Exorcist said, leaning back in his chair. "No, I wasn't asking that. Though I find it interesting that you would jump to that conclusion first. Not many would."

Naruto struggled to hide his grimace. The man before him had clearly played him. He had let his anger make him blind to the bigger game being played between them. He was an unknown factor, and any man in the headmaster's position would be searching for clues to what Naruto was capable of. And after going to such great lengths to hide his skills and powers from men like this, he couldn't afford screw ups like what just happened.

"Exorcist," Naruto began, "you run a school where I have seen my friends fight for their lives. On numerous occasions. This place seems to be filled with thugs and low lives. You shouldn't be surprised that I don't think you place a very high value on life." The once Hokage was proud with how he countered, deciding to go with the truth to cover his mistake. "So what the hell is it you want me to do?"

Making a humming sound in the back of his throat, the old man seemed to accept the topic change for now. "You have shown yourself apt when it comes to hiding. Not many can make it into this office without me noticing. I want you to go spy on this person, and report back to me with whatever they are planning. This way, you can also hear if they have anything planned for your friends. Now, isn't that a nice deal?"

Naruto sat there, trying to figure out what this man was playing at. On one level, he knew the headmaster was asking him to do this so he could understand Naruto's abilities better. The more important question, though, was what was going on outside the school. The headmaster seemed aware of something major happening, something just over the horizon.

And part of being a ninja was trying to ferret out the truth from any situation. If you couldn't figure out what was going on around you, you didn't stand a good chance to survive and learn what was going on when it was all over.

That left him with little choice but to help for now. And by going along with the headmaster's plan, he had the chance to get some valuable intel. The Exorcist knew he was feeding Naruto useful information, but right now that was the nature of their game. Each side had to give something up to learn more about the other.

"Fine," Naruto said. "Just give me whatever damn specifics you have, and I'll see what I can do."

* * *

**Unrelated Omake!**

_(Adapted from a friend's NGE idea.)_

Shinji eyed Sachiel, examining him for weaknesses. After a short moment, he turned back to the little scientists, scurrying about as they tried to figure out how to defeat this monster. Numbers were thrown about, and tense discussions of potential defenses were commonplace.

"I can kill it. Without the Eva," he said, keeping his words simple and clear so they could brook no misunderstanding.

They just stared at him in shock.

At times like this, Shinji wondered what idiot had put a bunch of scientists in charge of defending the world against hostile aliens.

"I can kill it," he said again. "Just give me climbing gear, three N2 mines, and some duct tape." He turned to smile coldly at the alien. "I intend to hit that bastard's big red button with the hammer of god."

* * *

There you have it! A lot of things going on here. Naruto's presence is slowly causing the original Rosario Universe to spiral away from canon. For good or for ill, changes are on the horizon.

And yes, I am going to keep you from knowing the full truth of the final battle for some time. Don't worry, I fully intend to reveal all in due time. For those of you who like epic fights, that will be one of them.

A note for future chapters. I realize that in the original universe, water is the bane of vampires. Now, while Naruto uses primarily wind and lightning in this story, as a Hokage, he certainly has the ability to use basic Water jutsu. I cannot think of a way that this ability would not overpower any vampire. I intend to have him fight smart, and as such, he would not ignore this advantage in battle. So I am limiting him, and saying water does not weaken vampires. Crossing open water is still taboo, as it is in some classic vampire stories, but regular water is just that.

Limiting his chakra had a point in the story. Removing the weakness to water is me just making an out for myself. Once you start mixing and matching Anime universes, it happens that you occasionally need to modify details.

I'm not sure when I will have time to start the next chapter. I start graduate school next week, and my time will be essentially cut down to nothing. I don't intend to drop the story, but I may not have as much time to toy with ideas and chapters.

And this is on top of the novel I am writing which takes far more time and editing than this.

Anyways, reviews are appreciated. They are the most sure fire way to get an author fired up to write something.

I am still looking for a beta to look over my work.

Peace!

~Ryl


	5. Status Update

Hey folks.

Sorry for the seeming end to the story. The past few months I have been incredibly busy with graduate school, and have been averaging something along the lines of 12 hours per day in the office and lab. Thankfully, that number will be going down now that the hardest semester of my track is over with.

I will still be busy, but I hope to continue with this story. I lost all my old data and outlines when my computer died, but once I sit down and review everything, I should be able to get started once again.

I know that some people had issues with how I was running the story. As before, all I can say is, I'm sorry to hear this. I have answers for many of your questions, but I do not hand them out on silver platters.

This includes people's interactions with one another, the limitations they set on themselves, and more.

That being said, I still do enjoy getting feedback and discussing the story and my plans. Just don't expect me to give away much. :)

It will still be awhile before I get something to a level I wish to submit it. I plan to do this for fun, so the editing will not be as intensive as original stories, but it still takes time. So please bear with me.

Peace out!


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